Real width of Schwalbe Big Ben tires and the effect with fenders.

[Roberta]

Last week, I rode Leah's (Bicycle Belle Ding Ding) Clem L, which was a lovely ride--limo like, to quote a member here.  She told me she had changed the Kenda tires for Schwalbe Big Ben tires and it improved the already great ride.

I have a 2016 Joe Appaloosa with the the stock Kenda tires on it.  The width is marked on the tire:  1.75".  I'm thinking of changing my tires to the same Big Bens as Leah has.  https://www.rivbike.com/collections/tires/products/schwalbe-big-ben-wire-raceguard-performance-line-hs439-700c-x-50-50-622-28x2-00-10129?variant=12239848210543 , which are on Riv's site as this:  650B x 48 (50-584, 27.5x2.00) RaceGuard Performance line 10138.

Does anyone know the actual width?  I'm OK with changing tires, but would this mean I'd need to get my fenders re-aligned? The fenders look pretty big to me, so I don't think I'd need wider ones if the tire is wider (I hope it's not).   Luckily, I live in a city with lots of bike shops (let's hope their businesses survive the Covid-19 shutdown) and a mechanic who knows Rivs and can do fenders well.

Thanks,

Roberta

[David Bivins]

I would not think you need to adjust for wider tires as long as the fenders are wide enough. I got wider tired and didn’t change anything. The diameter isn’t changing. I do end up adjusting my and my wife’s fenders every few months just from regular banging around and the SKB stays getting slightly bent from locking up for example. 

On Mar 19, 2020, at 8:52 PM, Roberta <rcha...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[David Bivins]

Sorry. SKS fenders. I’ve used SKB equipment cases elsewhere in My life :)

On Mar 19, 2020, at 10:36 PM, David Bivins <dabi...@gmail.com> wrote:



[Marc Irwin]

I use Big Ben's on my Hunq and I doubt you will have to change or re position

 the fenders.  Depending on the fenders, you might have to adjust the stays.

Marc

[RichS]

Roberta,

What is the width and brand of your current fenders?

Best,

Rich in ATL

On Thursday, March 19, 2020 at 8:52:35 PM UTC-4, Roberta wrote:

[Roberta]

Marc said: "Depending on the fenders, you might have to adjust the stays." 

Roberta says "this evokes fear in my heart, but I'm up for the challenge."

Rich asked: "What is the width and brand of your current fenders?" 

Roberta says "I think they are SKS plastic fenders (definitely not metal), and width is "very wide," wide enough to fully cover my already wide tires. "

Thanks.

[RichS]

Roberta,

A pair of SKS fenders I have measure 58mm.
If these are the same ones you own the Big Ben’s at 48mm won’t give you much wiggle room.

Depending on your rim width the BBs could be a bit less (or more). I’d say worth the effort to fuss with.

Recently put in considerable effort making 52mm VO fenders work with 40mm Fatty Rumpkins on my Sam. A bit closer than I would like in a couple of spots but overall decent clearance and good fender line. Still making some other mods to the bike and looking forward to a road test.

Good luck with your experiment!

Best,
Rich in ATL

[Jonathan K.]

I have an Appaloosa and made that same tire swap on mine. Mine is 700c, not 650b, but I'm not sure that makes a difference in terms of width/clearance. I installed the widest SKS fenders Riv sells (B65 I think?) over the stock Kendas. When I swapped to the 700x50 (2.0) Big Bens, I didn't need to mess with the fenders at all. I have lots of clearance. The Big Bens measured quite a bit undersize (on the stock Alex rims that came on the Riv-complete Appaloosa).

Jonathan

[Roberta]

Thank you, everyone! With this information, I feel comfortable ordering the Big Bens and expecting them to fit. Jonathan--how do you like the tires on your Appaloosa?

[Michael Morrissey]

I have the widest SKS with Schwalbe big apples in the 700x2” on my Appaloosa. They fit fine. I’d be very surprised if you have trouble with clearance. Go for it.

[Jonathan K.]

The tires ride nice, but I've been wondering if they are making the bike feel a little more sluggish than it could be. I switched to them very shortly after getting the bike, and I didn't really notice much of a difference compared to the stock Kendas. I've got over 3000 miles on them now. No flats, which is good, but I've been thinking about trying something a little more sporty like the G-One series or maybe even the Rene Herse Antelope Hills. 

[Patrick Moore]

The Big Apples roll very well for their puncture resistance and great heft, or at least, those I used 10 years ago did -- don't know if they've changed the design.

On Tue, Mar 24, 2020 at 11:30 AM Joe Bernard <joer...@gmail.com> wrote:

That's a good point which I should have mentioned in a convo I had with Roberta about those tires. I think the stock Kendas are kind of atrocious, but it's true that big Schwalbes with big flat protection aren't necessarily miles better in the ride department.

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Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum